My track record advocating for cost-effective delivery of municipal services, fiscal discipline in major infrastructure projects, open government and safety in our communities is clear.

Voters and municipal officials from across the political spectrum value this contribution at Victoria City Hall, which has saved taxpayers money, improved public services and helped to make the municipality more responsive to resident concerns.

Tom Fletcher chooses to ignore this track record in his column, perhaps because he has not attended a single meeting of Victoria city council or the Capital Regional District since I was elected to represent the people of Victoria three years ago.

Alongside my work on municipal issues, the people of Victoria have asked me to stand up and advocate to the provincial and federal governments on issues they care about that impact our community.

This includes the threat of oil tankers and pipelines on coastal communities and interior waterways; attacks on our postal system and education system and the workers who deliver those services; and the rights of First Nations on issues including sacred burial sites and land development.

The Union of B.C. Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are legitimate channels for dialogue between local government and the provincial and federal governments.

At this year’s UBCM convention, I spoke directly with Premier Christy Clark and her ministers on matters affecting the City of Victoria and Capital Region, helping to build relationships and find solutions that will benefit the community that I am elected to represent.

Fletcher is entitled to his views, as I told him during a conversation at UBCM. But I think we would all benefit if he did his homework first.

Councilllor Ben Isitt

Victoria

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Don’t elect looney-tunes

Editor:

Re: Report card time for local politicians (B.C. Views, Sept. 24).

Communism lovers hypocritically talk out of both ends and cost taxpayers. Ben Isitt should not change Canada to the system he loves, he should just pack his bags and go to Venezuela or Russia or maybe North Korea, where the system he loves is ready and waiting for him, so he can experience the acceptance of his ideas and his free speech.

It’s our duty as citizens to be informed so we don’t elect loony-tunes. Although they do hide behind lovely words only when elected their mask comes of and we learn who they really are by what they do.

The KISS theory works perfectly for me. Keep it simple, if we have a great and strong economy we have jobs and then, health care, education, roads, police, research, pensions, everything can be payed by us taxpayers, everything. Do not elect those pie in the sky, full of ideas, overly zealous environmentalists, fringed religious fanatics, that want to change everything.

If they want to change it means they don’t love it. Most of all do not elect people who push their agendas, thinking they know better than the people that elected them. Elect people that will have a strong economy priority and a healthy balance, that will change their mind when facts change, that are passionate and most of all, love our country and love our community.